Meet our Team

Board of Directors

Sam and Thresa Hawthorne

Sam and Thresa Hawthorne have been blessed to serve Kingdom Preparatory Academy since its inception. The Hawthorne’s three children began school at KPA, and they love the University-Model®, enjoying both the stimulation and challenge of school days and the extra family time studying together on their home days. Sam and Thresa are passionate about raising Kingdom Warriors and enjoy having a like-minded community to partner with at Kingdom Prep.

Sam, a lawyer and CPA, is a shareholder at the Lubbock law firm of Field, Manning, Stone, Hawthorne & Aycock, P.C. In addition to serving his clients, Sam enjoys serving the community and charitable organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Home of Lubbock, Covenant Health System, Lubbock Methodist Hospital System, and Southwest Little League. He has also served on the Boards of Women’s Protective Services, Texas Boy’s Ranch, the New Mexico Christian Children’s Home, the Lubbock Area Foundation, and the South Plains Chapter of the Texas Society of CPAs. Outside of his practice and community service, Sam loves helping coach his son’s little league baseball team and attending his daughters’ sporting events.

Thresa graduated from Methodist School of Nursing in 1997, and she began her nursing career at Methodist Hospital, specializing in cardiac critical care nursing. After being introduced by a mutual friend, Sam and Thresa were married in 1998. Thresa continued to work as an RN until their first child, Katie, was born in 2001. Sam and Thresa agreed that Thresa’s new vocation was to be a full time stay-at-home mom. James was born in 2003, and Kara Beth was born in 2005. In addition to her responsibilities at home, Thresa has volunteered for the Women’s Ministry at Broadway Church of Christ, the Children’s Home of Lubbock, and New Mexico Christian Children’s Home. She can often be found cheering on all three of her children in their various activities.

Jon and Amanda Jackson

Jon Jackson has deep roots in West Texas, dating back seven generations. He graduated from Shallowater High School in 1992 and went on to graduate from Texas Tech University in 2000, receiving a B.B.A. in Finance with an emphasis in real estate. Upon graduation, Jon immediately joined a start-up homebuilding company in Lubbock. During his tenure as CFO, Betenbough Homes grew to become one of the top 100 homebuilders in America, attaining some of the best profit margins in the nation.

Jon stepped out of the role of CFO in 2012 but continues to serve on the Betenbough Leadership Team. Today, his focus is primarily on corporate culture, mission, and growth. Jon’s passion is to see business utilized as a platform to glorify Jesus. He loves to help others in the marketplace find the Kingdom purpose God has for their lives. Jon spends much time walking with other business owners through the process of repurposing their company and periodically speaks on the subject of Marketplace Ministry at various conferences and workshops. Jon also serves on the Board of Vapor Sports Ministries, an organization dedicated to humanitarian aid and disciple-making in third world environments.

Amanda was born and raised in West Texas as well. After graduating from Monterey High School, she decided to stay in Lubbock and attend Texas Tech University. About that time, she met Jon at a local church, and the two were married in 1998. Together they agreed that it would be best for Amanda to work full-time while Jon completed his education. She did so until 2001, when their first child, Cambrey, was born. Amanda has been a stay-at-home mom ever since. Connor was born in 2003, and Eva was born in 2006. Amanda believes that raising these children is the full-time purpose God has for her life. In addition to loving and nurturing her own children, Amanda enjoys volunteering her time to care for children with special needs through the Somehow Here Again Foundation.

After learning of the University-Model®, Jon and Amanda immediately fell in love with this style of education and enrolled Cambrey as a kindergartener at Kingdom Prep. To date, it is the only educational model they have ever used. They are passionate about raising their children with Kingdom intentionality; therefore, classical, Christian education is the perfect fit.

Peter and Nicole Martens

The Martens family arrived in Lubbock from Chicago in 2005 when Peter began a faculty position in Texas Tech University’s School of Music. They brought with them two daughters, ages 4 and 1, choosing Lubbock as a smaller city, more conducive to a family focus. Their first year in Lubbock saw Nicole exploring educational options for their soon-to-be-kindergartener. Fortunately, a new friend mentioned Kingdom Preparatory Academy, at the time a relatively new school using a fairly new educational model, and they decided to give it a try for a year. A decade later they have three children enrolled at KPA, Naomi (2001), Anna (2004), and Isaac (2008).

Nicole and Peter met in the music conservatory at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI, where she earned a Bachelors of Music in piano, and where he earned a Bachelors of Music in music education and a BA in Classics. After college they moved to Washington D.C. where Peter taught high school Latin and orchestra while Nicole earned her Master’s of Music in Piano Pedagogy. She built up a full-time piano studio during Peter’s doctoral studies in Chicago, and having two young girls during this time renewed her commitment and desire to be home with her children. Partnering in her children’s education with KPA kindles her passion for teaching; she continues to maintain a small piano studio, accompanies for local school music programs, and enjoys teaching Sunday School, rollerblading, and cooking. Peter serves Shepherd of the Plains Lutheran as organist and congregational President, and has been active on the board of the Youth Orchestras of Lubbock since its founding in 2010.

KPA was founded on educating students from a Christian worldview using the University-Model, and the adoption of a classical curriculum has only strengthened Peter’s and Nicole’s commitment to, and love for, the school. They have witnessed the growth in their children’s independent study habits and relish the home environment that the University-Model facilitates. They especially appreciate how this model allows for significant time each week devoted to non-school extracurricular activities, such as music and dance instruction, without usurping precious family time.

About Us

Kingdom Prep is a classical, Christian, University-Model® School seeking to develop the whole child—academically, spiritually, emotionally, and physically—through an educational format utilizing both trained classroom instruction and individualized parent involvement.